The Thai language is a tonal language. When you speak a word, the pitch of your voice is an integral part of that word. If you speak with the wrong pitch/tone, you are saying a different word.
There are 5 tones
mid, low, falling, high and rising
LISTEN again and again
Introduction to Thai
Thai is generally monosyllabic, no word change due to conjugation and affixation.
2. Word order is very important. Thai is a Subject-Verb-Object
language, and a modifier always follows a head. That is, an adjective or an adverb always strictly follows a noun or a verb.
3. Thai sometimes omit a subject or an object. Meanings can be drawn contextually.
4. Thai is tonal, but no intonation. Each word has its tone. This tone will never change syntactically. Note that if the tone changes, so does the meaning.
(3 Types of Sound in Thai)
1. Thai has only 21 consonantal sounds but 44 forms of script. Each sound is not very difficult to learn at all. Final consonantal sound is not released. Thus no combination of the final sound of the preceding word and the following initial sound of the following word.
2. Vowel length is very crucial in Thai. A long vowel is distinct from a short one. Remember vowel length changes meanings. To pronounce vowels correctly, pay attention to the teacher’s lips.
3. Thai has only 5 tones; mid, low, falling, high and rising, but only 4 tone marks. Always remember that tones never change, wherever they occur in a sentence. Thai tones are very easy to learn and understand, especially after Thai is monosyllabic, but becomes polysyllabic due to lexical Processes and borrowing.
New words are formed by compounding.
Thai is easy to learn because it is an alphabetic language like English and other Indo-European languages. An alphabet represents a sound. Once all scripts are remembered, then learners can read and write Thai.
Thai consonants are divided into 3 classes; High, Mid, and Low
consonants. Understanding this system helps in understanding Thai tones and enable learners to write Thai correctly.
1. Excuse me, could you hail/get a taxi for me please?
ขอโทษค่ะ/ครับ ช่วยเรียกแท็กซี่ให้หน่อยได้ไหมคะ/ครับ
kŏr tôot kâ/kráp chûay rîak táek sîi hâi nòi dâai măi ká/kráp
.
2. Do you know where I can get a taxi?
คุณรู้ไหมว่าฉันจะเรียกแท็กซี่ได้ที่ไหน
kun rúu măi wâa chăn jà rîak táek sîi dâai tîi năi?
.
3. Could you take me to the airport please?
ช่วยไปส่งฉันที่สนามบินหน่อย
chûay bpai sòng chăn tîi sà-năam bin nòi
.
4. Drive me to this address please.
ขับไปตามที่อยู่นี้นะคะ/ครับ
kàp bpai dtaam tîi – yùu níi ná ká / kráp
.
5. How much is the typical taxi fare to the airport?
ปกติค่าแท็กซี่ไปสนามบินเท่าไหร่
bpòk-gà-dtì kâa táek-sîi bpai sà-năam bin tâo rài
.
6. Do you use a meter?
คุณใช้มิเตอร์ไหม
Kun chái meter mái
.
7. I’m really in a hurry!
ผมกำลังรีบ
pŏm gam-lang rîip.
.
8. Are we almost there?
เราเกือบถึงหรือยัง
rao gèuap tĕung rĕu yang
.
9. Please drive slowly.
ช่วยขับช้าๆหน่อย
chûay kàp cháa cháa nòi
.
10. Keep the change.
ไม่ต้องทอน
mâi dtông torn
.
Prefix “ความ kwaam” is put before adjectives, adverbs, and verb about sense, mental and feeling “to make nouns”
รัก rák —-> ความรัก kwaam rák
to love —> the love
.
เชื่อ chêua —> ความเชื่อ kwaam chêua
to believe —> belief
ดี dii —> ความดี kwam dii
good —> goodness
ร้อน rón —> ความร้อน kwaam rón
hot —> heat
เร็ว reo —> ความเร็ว kwaam reo
fast —> speed
รู้ rúu —> ความรู้ kwaam rúu
to know —> knowledge
คิด kít —> ความคิด kwaam kít
to think —> idea, thought
จริง jing —> ความจริง kwaam jing
true —> truth
Three ways to say “like” in Thai
1. ชอบ chôp
ชอบ means like when it is a verb (feeling)
I like you! ฉันชอบคุณ
(chăn chôp kun)
I like to eat Thai food. ฉันชอบกินอาหารไทย
(chăn chôp gin aa hăan thai)
2. เหมือน mĕuan
when “like = same as, similar or …be like”
You behave like a child. คุณทำตัวเหมือนเด็ก
(kun tam-dtua mĕuan dèk)
You are like my brother. คุณเหมือนพี่ชายของฉัน
(kun mĕuan pîi chaai kŏng chăn)
3. แบบ/อย่าง bàep/yàang
when “like = kind of…, sort of…, type, style..”
อย่าพูดแบบนี้ Don’t say like this!
(yàa pûud bàep níi)
ทำไมทำอย่างนั้น Why did you do like that?
(Tam-mai tam yàang nán)
*ทำตัว tam-dtua = to behave
“ชอบ ” means “to like” and…
Did you know that apart from “to like”, it can also mean
(Subject) + “always or often” ………….
(informal)
1. ฉันชอบดื่มกาแฟ
chăn chôp dèum gaa-fae
= I “like” to drink coffee.
.
2. ฉันชอบปวดหัวเวลาอากาศร้อนเกินไป
chăn chôp bpùat-hŭa wee-laa aa-gàat rón gern-bpai.
= I “aways” have a headache when the weather is too hot.
Three ways to say “like” in Thai
1. ชอบ chôp
ชอบ means like when it is a verb (feeling)
I like you! ฉันชอบคุณ
(chăn chôp kun)
I like to eat Thai food. ฉันชอบกินอาหารไทย
(chăn chôp gin aa hăan thai)
2. เหมือน mĕuan
when “like = same as, similar or …be like”
You behave like a child. คุณทำตัวเหมือนเด็ก
(kun tam-dtua mĕuan dèk)
You are like my brother. คุณเหมือนพี่ชายของฉัน
(kun mĕuan pîi chaai kŏng chăn)
3. แบบ/อย่าง bàep/yàang
when “like = kind of…, sort of…, type, style..”
อย่าพูดแบบนี้ Don’t say like this!
(yàa pûud bàep níi)
ทำไมทำอย่างนั้น Why did you do like that?
(Tam-mai tam yàang nán)
*ทำตัว tam-dtua = to behave
Learn Thai from anywhere in the world. Easy, systematic, interactive and fun!
Teacher Wee,a Thai language teacher in Thailand. She has twelve years of experience teaching Thai to foreigners. She started while learning method of teaching Thai to foreigners in University and continued working in Thai language schools for many years.
Thai lesson Courses start from the basic conversation – advance learner, reading-writing Thai. Every Course includes free materials (.doc,.pdf,.mp3 files)
Contact the teacher : kruuwee@gmail.com +66932963242 +66624515414
Learn Thai with Kruu Wee anywhere in the world via Skype have the same high quality as private lessons but at any location.
THAI LANGUAGE COURSES
Are you interested to learn Thai? Let’s take…
A free trial lesson via Skype
“Learning online from anywhere in the world”
Thai language Course + Free all material ( documents + audios)
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE and Efficiency
Schedule “Monday – Sunday”
350 THB / 30 minutes lesson 700 THB / hour for video call lessons
300 THB / 30 minutes lesson 600 THB / hour for voice call lessons
Send me an email to book a trial lesson!
Please give me your Skype id
and inform me your convenient day and time.
Skype Courses
Great Benefits
“Effective, Fastest way to become Fluent ”
“Human teachers are the best way to learn”
“Lessons are customized for your learning style and goals.”
“1on1 lessons are better than a traditional classroom.
Authentic, Real, Cultural
*Learn the real language. Learn how people really speak.
specific learning need”
“Affordable”
Convenient
No travel.
You can take lessons from anywhere.
“individual lesson – Learn what you want !”
Course :Basic Thai Conversation
Emphasizes pronunciation, structure and word order in systematic way! Practical lesson with homework “Good Pronunciation+understand the right structure” are almost Everything”
Course Intermediate – Advanced Conversation – relies on spoken Thai as much as possible! use expression, to speak more complicated sentences, Thai slang, Role play, learn to think in Thai and speak like Thais. Teacher will speak Thai to you the natural way!
Thai for tourists / or for relationships – focuses on Useful Patterns and Thai CULTURE, values and beliefs, more discussion (consultant), use expression and all you want to know as an individual.
Advanced – Business Thai Conversation focuses on language and culture relevant for doing business, more discussion in both formal and informal language. Conversations for doing business and management. Also reading articles and newspaper.
Reading – Writing Thai uses print materials designed for essential, rapid learning! include audios for listening with many fun stories and over thousands patterns.
Documents and audios ( .doc, .pdf, .mp3, .m4a ) will send via email before lesson.
Learn Thai with Kruu Wee - A Thai language teacher 